Strange By Comparison, Part I
by WritersInk
Summary: Loose Labyrinth xover: Jareth & Sarah's daughter is a Spenser student. With her future undecided and hanging in the balance, all Erin Williams wanted was a normal senior year. What she ended up with was the Sons of Ipswich and whole heap of trouble.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: The timeline of this fic is set along that of the movie but there are a few deviations. I've stretched the timeframe from around a week – like in the film – to a few weeks. Hope y'all don't mind too much.

* * *

There are few things in this world that compare to New York City after sunset. It's been called the City That Never Sleeps and truer words have seldom been spoken. The city itself is alive. It's pulse can be felt wherever you are, no matter what you're doing.

But nighttime in New York? It's even better. The pulse becomes a demanding, throbbing heartbeat. For me it was the center of the universe. And I loved it.

My Mom and I lived in a four story townhouse on the Upper East Side, a few blocks away from Central Park. It was a stunning neo-classic revival, stone fronted with tons of scrollwork and fancy pediments. There was a wide bay window in my bedroom with a cozy seat that overlooked the street. It was where Mom found me most nights, curled up with a book, thinking, writing, or daydreaming.

I'd been sitting there for the better part of two hours, writing in my journal, IM-ing my friends, checking my MySpace messages. You know, the usual. But unlike most nights, there was much more on my mind.

In a few short days, I would be returning to school for my senior year. While part of me was excited that I would be starting my final year of high school, a bigger part of me was frightened out of my mind. This was the year when a lot of decisions were supposed to be made, decisions that would affect my future.

Most high school seniors would do the very same thing, make big decisions that would impact the rest of their life. For me, the fear stemmed from something else entirely. This was the year that I was to receive my inheritance. No big deal, right? Wrong. Very, very wrong.

Here's the thing. I'm not exactly normal. That's not really a surprise though. My parents aren't normal. Not by a long shot.

Before you start scratching your head and wondering if there are any parents in the entire world who are normal, let me explain. Mom was fifteen when they first met. Daddy, well, let's just say he was older and leave it at that. They didn't exactly hit it off, not right away at least. I mean, come on. Mom was busy playing with her 'toys and costumes' and Daddy was the intimidating villain in a fairy story.

But a few years later, they met again and things were different. Mom was in her sophomore year at Julliard and they managed to make things work for awhile. But as most long distance relationships do, theirs eventually crumbled. Toss in Mom's stubbornness and Daddy's manipulative nature, and they were doomed from the start. Granted, it was far more complicated than that but you get the general idea.

Then six months after they'd called it quits, I came along. I was the first Halfling born in nearly a millennia. No, I'm not short with hairy feet either. I'm half human and half Fae.

Mom raised me on her own, somehow managing to carve out a career in the process. Daddy helped her out whenever he could, keeping an eye on me when she had an audition or had to work and couldn't get a sitter. Even to a small child, it was obvious that they were still in love. But I learned as I got older that not all fairy tales ended in happily ever after and that sometimes love simply wasn't enough to make a relationship work.

Still, I grew up well loved and well provided for. Then Mom's career exploded into the stratosphere right about the time I started school at Spenser Academy. I was in the seventh grade and very nervous about going away to school. It was also around that time that I first learned about my 'inheritance'. Daddy explained it all to me but I didn't fully grasp what he was telling me back then.

We didn't speak of it again until I returned home at the end of my junior year for the summer holiday. Up until that point, it hadn't been much of a problem. For the most part, I was a completely average seventeen year old girl. Okay, not so average. Mom did have an Oscar sitting on the mantel and a couple of Golden Globes on the bookcase after all. My point is that the whole half Fae thing hadn't given me any trouble. Hey, never being sick a day in my life was pretty freaking cool no matter how you cut it. And speaking of cuts, healing instantly had its benefits too.

Here's the problem though. In a couple of months I was going to turn eighteen. As I got closer to my 'inheritance', the more I was going to experience the not so great parts of having Fae blood. Like a few physical changes for one and a seriously nasty allergy to iron for another.

Oh, and remember those decisions I mentioned earlier? I had one year following my eighteenth birthday to decide which world I would live in. Either I would remain in my mother's world and live out my days as a human. Or, I could choose to live in my father's and live forever. Simple, right? Wrong.

Okay, so he's kind of a narcissist and his wardrobe is reminiscent of an '80's glam rocker but he was still my dad. I rarely got to see him as it was. To never see him again, period? I just didn't know if I could do that. His influence in my life, while limited beyond even his control, had been magical in so many ways.

Damn. Like Mom was always so found of saying, it wasn't fair.

I was so wrapped up in my own conflicted misery that I never heard her enter. I didn't even know she was there until she tickled the bottom of my bare foot. My knee connected with the window pane with a dull thud when I snatched my foot back out of her reach. Thankfully, I'd already put my laptop away, otherwise it may have taken a nasty spill onto the hardwood floor.

Mom giggled a bit as she grabbed my hand and tugged, pulling me over to sit in the circle of her arms. She hugged me to her chest and rocked me a little. She knew what was troubling me. We hadn't talked about it much but the few times we had, she'd told me it was my decision to make and that she refused to influence me one way or another.

Neither of us spoke for awhile. When she started to softly sing my favorite childhood lullaby, the one that would always put me at ease whenever I woke up from a bad dream, I started to cry. She continued to hold and rock me, whispering soothing words of encouragement.

Eventually I calmed down, my tears turning into hiccups and a stuffy nose. "It's not fair," I said brokenly. "It's just not fair."

She hugged me tighter. "I know, baby. It seldom is."

"How can they make me choose between you guys? You're my parents, for Danu's sake."

Mom tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear and said, "I know telling you not to dwell on it probably won't help, but you need to start thinking about something else. You're making yourself miserable."

I was ready to scream in frustration. I knew she was trying to help but I was upset and I wanted to wallow in my misery, not be coaxed out of it. "But Mom," I whined only to be cut off by the look. You know the one all mom's have that clearly states they've had enough and promised dire consequences if you said another word?

"Not another word, Erin." She dropped her arms from around my shoulders and stood up. "You've spent enough time up here feeling sorry for yourself. You've got thirteen months until you have to decide your future. But you've only got two weeks left here with me before you go back to school." There was something in her tone that had me perking up slightly. "Now, get dressed. We're going out for dinner."

Whenever Mom said to get dressed for dinner, it meant we were going somewhere exceptionally nice. I wasn't in the mood that night but she was right about our time being short before school started. So, I put on one of my favorite dinner dresses and a smile and indulged her.

The next day she took me shopping. Mom was a firm believer in the healing power of retail therapy. That, and chocolate. A girl could never, ever go wrong with good, rich chocolate.

The rest of my summer vacation passed far too quickly and before I knew it I found myself back at school. I'd had certain expectations for my senior year, what with my 'inheritance' and all. What I got was something far more complicated than I could possibly have imagined.


	2. Chapter 2

Traditionally, students at my boarding school have the same roommate for their entire matriculation at Spenser Academy. Up until this year, I'd been rooming with a girl named Kate. Though we'd never become close friends, we were comfortable around one another and had never had any problems coexisting in the same space.

This year, however, given the state of things, Mom made arrangements for me to have a single. It was weird having my own room. But on the brighter side, it made chatting with Dad a whole lot easier. Our conversations through the mirror were no longer the infrequent clandestine occasions that they'd been in the past. I was now, for the most part, able to speak with him on a daily basis. And given the many physical and magical changes I was going through, it was a very good thing.

The first day of school was an interesting one for me. There were three transfer students in the senior class that year, two boys and one girl. The girl, Sarah, ended up being Kate's new roommate and seemed nice enough though I hadn't actually met her. She was in my Lit class though and I was sure we'd be introduced eventually.

I had calculus with one of the boys, a guy named Chase Collins. He was incredibly cute but something about him was off and had all my instincts screaming at me to keep my distance. Thankfully, it was the only class we shared.

My course load was on the heavy side despite it being my senior year. I had several Advanced Placement courses as well as college level ones but I was satisfied with my choices. Spenser was a preparatory school after all.

The only blight to my day was discovering that I shared three different classes with the bane of my existence: Reid Garwin. It wasn't the fact that he was the self-appointed school 'bad boy' that pissed me off so badly. Nor was it his tragedy of a weekend wardrobe. It was his attitude and his overall approach to school in general that grated my nerves raw.

He was one of the smartest boys in school - I'd accidentally seen his scores the year we'd all been forced to take an official IQ test - and yet his grades were just barely good enough to keep his place on the swim team. It irritated the hell out of me.

Don't get me wrong. I'm no idiot, but I studied hard to maintain my grades. While whether college would be in my future remained to be determined, I had to work my butt off to keep an A minus average. Nevermind that this year, I had to learn how to control my budding magical powers as well.

For someone like Reid to take for granted what most of us struggle to achieve let alone maintain, well it just really ticked me off. His smartass and often sarcastic comments in class never helped either.

The silver lining for me was that I also shared those same classes with Caleb Danvers who thankfully was the one person in school who managed to intimidate Reid. It always brought a smile to my face too. The blatant alpha male power struggle was a beautiful thing to witness.

My amusement was short lived though. The death of one of my classmates after the annual Dells party the weekend before had the school in an uproar. To make matters worse it worried both of my parents to the point of calling me so frequently it was driving me insane.

The medical examiner ruled the cause of the boy's death an 'apparent overdose' but no one really knew for certain. He was the other transfer student and I felt bad because I'd never bothered to learn his name.

Rumors began to circulate, especially after the provost called Chase Collins to his office. Someone said the cops had found his school ID in the kid's car. Again, I resolved to stay as far away from him as possible.

By the end of that first day of school, I had learned how to conjure crystals and was seriously contemplating asking my father if I could learn how to drop someone head first into the Bog of Eternal Stench. Namely, Garwin.

Our AP European History professor had made the mistake of pairing us together for a partnered assignment on the origins of the Papacy. Naturally, I ended up being the one doing all the work. Lazy prick.

We agreed to meet after classes the day and I'd been waiting in the library for more than half an hour when he finally decided to show up. He didn't say a word. Just pulled out a chair, dropped into it then crossed his arms over the table top and stared at me.

I raised a single black eyebrow and stared back for a moment before going back to reading up on the early Catholic Church. Eventually, my silence must have gotten to him because he sighed very loudly then grabbed one of the books I'd stacked on the table and opened it up. He rustled the pages, again very loudly, and made a rather comical show of trying to irritate me. Well, it would have been comical if hadn't actually worked.

Finally, I snapped my book shut and confronted him. "Where the hell have you been, Garwin?"

He leaned back in his chair and smiled at me. It was the kind of smile a guy uses on a girl when he wants something. Not that something, just something. You know what I'm talking about.

Anyway, he smiled at me and I glared at him. "Well?" I demanded.

"I was around. Had stuff to do." Again, that damned smile. The Bog was sounding more and more like a good idea.

"That's it? You had stuff to do?"

"Don't get your panties in a twist, Williams. I'm here now, right?"

I gave him a disgusted look and opened my book again. "Whatever," I mumbled. "Danu save me from idiots."

He must have heard my whispered prayer because when I looked up again he was staring at me with the weirdest expression on his face. Inwardly I shrugged then resumed my reading. I didn't even want to speculate as to what he could possibly be thinking.

A few minutes later, he gave up on it, whatever it was, and started thumbing through the reference books I'd pulled. It didn't last though. Not fifteen minutes after he'd sat down, Reid pushed his chair back and announced that he had somewhere to be and that he'd see me in class the next day.

Did I say the bog was sounding like a good idea? Scratch that, the bog was sounding like a great idea.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm not really sure how it happened but somehow I found myself spending the occasional afternoon with Kate and Sarah. One minute I was minding my own business, the next I was shopping in the village and chatting over burgers and fries at Nicky's. After that it became a regular occurrence.

It turned out that my first impressions of Sarah were accurate. She was every bit as nice and likeable as she'd seemed. She had just started dating Caleb and it was obvious to anyone with eyes that she was halfway in love with him already. It was both sweet and nauseating at the same time.

Kate had been seeing Caleb's best friend, Pogue Parry for a couple of years and up until recently the two had been inseparable. At the moment they were fighting. Sure they'd had arguments before but never like this. She'd confided to me that he'd become jealous and possessive of her spending time with Chase.

While I agreed with Pogue, I took a neutral position when she asked me for my opinion. It's never a good idea to get involved in your friend's relationship problems. Good intentions and well meaning advice had a nasty way of biting you in the ass.

I tried to avoid Chase myself. As I said before, something about him rubbed me the wrong way. I couldn't put my finger on it but it was there nonetheless. Whenever he was around, I managed to quietly slip away. If anyone noticed, they never said.

Because I had been spending so much time with the girls, I became a member of their 'group' without even realizing it. Kate and Sarah drew me in with their constant invites and sincere friendship.

Hanging out with them when all the guys were around had its moments though. You have to understand something about the Sons of Ipswich to get my meaning.

If you're scrunching up your nose and wondering who the Sons were then it means you've got a brain in your head. I can appreciate that.

The original Ipswich colony was founded by five families during the seventeenth century. According to historians, one of the family lines was ended during the witch hunts when the last surviving male was tried and executed for the crime of witchcraft. The other four family lines survived though. They were Danvers, Parry, Simms, and Garwin. Translation: Caleb, Pogue, Reid's roommate Tyler and Reid himself.

You're starting to get the picture now, aren't you? Where Caleb and Pogue went, the other two would eventually follow and that meant I was spending more time around Reid than I wanted to.

As Fall Fest approached, things started to get weirder and weirder around the school. Tensions were running high between the guys and my birthday was getting closer too.

The power struggle - if that's really what it was, between Caleb and Reid was becoming more and more obvious and despite myself - I was beginning to worry. Maybe it was because I'd gotten to know them both a little. Or maybe it was because I had my mother's compassionate nature but I found myself paying closer attention to the two of them. And Reid more so than Caleb. He just seemed more volatile.

You learn a lot about a person when you study them. There's no use calling it anything else because that's exactly what I was doing, studying him.

The first time it happened, I wrote it off as a trick of the light. The second, I thought I'd just imagined it. But the third time I knew it was anything but.

We were all at Nicky's that night. Reid was playing pool against Aaron Abbott, a fellow senior who had a reputation for being a first class asshole, and as was their habit, they were betting on their shots.

The shot Reid had claimed he could make wasn't just difficult, it was downright impossible. I aced Physics the year before and from what I could see there simply was no way to make the shot. Aaron wasn't an idiot either and knowing the shot was not possible accepted the bet, even increased it.

Reid slapped his money down with a conspiratorial smile and leaned over the table. I don't know why I was watching him so closely that night but it seemed to be becoming a habit with me. Anyway, he bent down to take his shot, glanced around then looked down the table. His eyes flashed a funny shade of gold, almost like they were on fire for less than a second. Then just like that they were back to their natural chilly grey.

While I was busy shaking my head and wondering what exactly it was that I'd just seen, Aaron began shouting that Reid had cheated. I knew in my gut that he was right.

To my left I heard Caleb groan. "He's going to kill himself yet," he muttered to himself then asked Pogue to get his jacket. I wasn't meant to hear it, but I did and it made me all the more curious. I'd been around magic all my life and recognized it when I saw it. I'd just never seen magic like that before nor had I seen it used out in the open.

Caleb turned to his right and said to Sarah, "Call you later?" When she nodded he and Pogue followed the other boys outside.

"What is it with guys?" Sarah asked, taking a long sip of her soda.

I shrugged. I was still trying to sort out the fact that I'd seen Reid Garwin use magic and to win a bet of all things. Questions rolled around my brain in rapid yet chaotic succession.

It was unbelievable, almost surreal even. I needed to talk to my father. I grabbed my jacket and purse and told the girls I was going back to campus.

They both objected. I didn't have a car of my own - I didn't need one in the city - and I'd ridden with Sarah that evening. I assured them both that I would be fine and promised to call when I reached my dorm. Sweethearts the both of them and each as overprotective as my own mother.

When I walked outside I could hear the argument escalating in the alley behind the bar then I heard Nicky's booming voice demanding that they take it elsewhere. Keeping to the shadows I rushed across the parking lot and slipped unnoticed into the woods. As soon as I was certain no one had or could see me, I sifted back to my room.

I'd only just perfected the skill and was rather proud of that particular talent. Sifting in layman's terms is kind of like the magical version of folding space. I simply think of where I want to go and them - bam! - I'm there. Pretty cool, huh?

The moment I was inside, I tossed my purse on my bed and called for my father.


	4. Chapter 4

I woke the next morning with more questions than when I'd gone to bed. Talking to Daddy hadn't helped either. He seemed to think I'd imagined the whole thing and told me not to worry about it. Didn't I have enough on my plate already? Reluctantly, I conceded his point even though I did not agree. I knew what I'd seen.

Since it was still relatively early I decided to hit the library. After dressing I walked into my bathroom and began tugging my brush through my hair. My hand stilled mid stroke when I caught my reflection in the mirror.

With my birthday only days away, it appeared that the change had officially begun. My eyes which were green when I'd gone to sleep the night before, were now the same mismatched hues as my father's. One was brown and one was blue.

I shook my head and finished brushing the tangles from my hair then pulled it up into a pony tail. I sighed heavily. Sweet Sidhe, but I hoped no one would notice.

Satisfied that I was at least presentable, I shouldered my rucksack, pocketed my cell phone and stepped out into the hall. I had questions that needed answering and a little research was as good a place to start as any.

I don't know how long I sat there, pouring over old books and chronologies. Most of it was vague or based on second hand accounts and superstitious speculation. The growling of my stomach pulled my consciousness out of the seventeenth century and back into the present. In my haste to satisfy my growing curiosity, I'd skipped breakfast.

I nudged my phone to check the time and was surprised to see that it was already after nine. I was really late for class. With a groan, I pushed the book I'd been reading away from me and rubbed the back of my neck with one hand. There was a lot of information to be found but none of it was relevant. The library reference catalogue had listed two books that were nowhere to be found and I had a sneaky suspicion they were missing for a reason.

Knowing I still had to change into my uniform, I quickly packed up my notes and set out for my dorm. And I needed food to fuel my brain. We were beginning a dissection in my anatomy & physiology class was at nine the next morning and I still had definitions to review and body parts to memorize.

I bumped into Reid on my way out of the library. He gave me a curious look but didn't say anything more than a mumbled 'hey' as he passed by then took a seat at the table I'd just vacated. I risked a glance back over my shoulder as I was walking out the door and found him holding a book on the settling of Ipswich and staring at me pointedly. The look in his eyes was clear, even from across the room. It said that Reid Garwin had a few questions of his own.


	5. Chapter 5

Things went from weird to downright frightening by the end of the week. It was as if something was going on, something that they all knew about and weren't sharing with me. Deep down, it felt as though something bad was about to happen and I was powerless to stop it.

And then right out of the blue Kate got really sick. So sick that she was hospitalized. That same night Pogue was in a motorcycle accident while he was trying to get to her.

It's a scary feeling, helplessness. I had all this new found power and it was ultimately useless when it came to helping my friends.

All I could think about was how much Kate had been looking forward to Fall Fest. I hadn't planned on going but she'd pleaded and prodded until I gave in and made Mom promise to overnight me one of her evening gowns.

I almost didn't go that night. It seemed disloyal somehow, going to a formal dance while two of my friends were lying in the hospital. But it was something Sarah said that changed my mind.

She knocked on my door the afternoon of the Fall Fest, clutching a dress bag to her stomach where she'd folded it over her arm. Her words were rushed and didn't make a lot of sense to me. Something about Caleb's birthday and needing all the support she could get.

When I asked her about the bag, Sarah explained that she was getting dressed for the dance at Caleb's house and would be riding over with him. While I still had that sick sense of impending doom twisting about in my gut I promised to meet them later at the dance and assured her that yes I did have something to wear.

My unease built over the hours that followed, even as I dressed for the evening. True to her word, Mom had sent me an evening gown but it wasn't one of hers. She'd surprised me with a brand new dress.

I tried not to smile as I pulled it from the protective plastic bag it had arrived in. The soft, black silk felt like a second skin when I slipped it over my hips and tied the sash behind my neck. From the front the dress appeared sensual yet conservative, the only visible skin being my arms and shoulders. But when I turned around, my back was bare. The opening dipped low, so low that it came dangerously close to revealing more than the provost would deem appropriate.

A quick rummage through my jewelry box produced a pair of crystal chandelier earrings and a matching bracelet. I pinned my hair back on one side with a jeweled comb and let the rest fall in dark waves down my back. After slipping my feet into a pair of strappy satin sandals that pinched just a bit too much for comfort I was out my door and headed across the common towards the Hall.

The feeling that something was wrong kept drumming against my consciousness and I tried to shake it off. Absently, I wondered if Daddy felt it too.

Without realizing I'd even been looking for him, I spotted Reid as I neared the doors. He was standing with Tyler just off to the left of the entrance and with Sarah between them. I grinned a little at the image they presented. They looked like a couple of overzealous bodyguards.

Though she didn't appear to be very happy, Sarah looked incredible in floor length ivory satin. Incredibly lovely and incredibly nervous. It was then that I realized Caleb was missing.

As I approached, she smiled tightly and waved at me. I smiled back and hugged her. Neither of us spoke for a long moment as we held onto each other. It's just something we girls inherently understand, the power of a hug. When we separated I asked if she needed anything and when she answered that she was thirsty, I offered to get us both a cup of punch.

I said a brief hello to the boys and turned to walk inside. A hand on my arm stopped me dead in my tracks. I looked down at it then up into Reid's face. He gave me a lazy once over, taking in the clingy black dress before saying, "You clean up pretty well, Williams."

Despite my attempt not to do so, I smiled. "You're not so bad yourself, Garwin."

When I returned a few minutes later with our drinks, Sarah was gone. Thinking Caleb must have arrived, I downed my punch and went back inside.

Half an hour later, I was dancing with a charming underclassman whose name I couldn't remember when Reid appeared out of nowhere and dragged me away. I tried jerking my arm out of his grasp only to have him tighten his grip and tug harder as he led me to a far corner of the room.

When we reached it he shoved me back towards the wall and into the shadows. I opened my mouth to tell him what I thought of his manhandling but closed it again at the panicked expression he wore.

"What's wrong?" I asked in a low whisper then looked around. "Where's Sarah?"

His expression grew even grimmer. "Shit. I was hoping you'd seen her."

"I haven't seen her since we spoke outside. Where's Caleb?"

Reid looked uncomfortable and I knew I was onto something. Falling back on that niggling instinct that's plagued me all along, I took a guess. "This all has something to do with Chase Collins, doesn't it?"

His face said it all. I'd hit the nail right on the head. "Look," he said. "I need to go make a call. Stay right here. Don't go anywhere with anyone that isn't' me or Tyler. I'll be right back." I couldn't stop myself from rolling my eyes. "I'm serious, Erin. Don't go anywhere."

Maybe it was because he'd actually used my first name or maybe it was the pleading look in his eyes that had me nodding my agreement before it even registered to me that I had. I found an empty chair at a mostly empty table and all but fell into it.

That was when the first pain hit me. I doubled over with it and fought against the urge to vomit. It lasted about a minute and had my eyes tearing with its intensity. Then it was gone. Just like that, almost as if I'd imagined it.

I was wiping my eyes when Reid reappeared. He grabbed me by my upper arm and said one word. "Up." Still reeling from what had just happened to me, I allowed myself to do as he'd said and followed him without question.

He didn't let go of my arm until we reached my room. Without a word he held out his hand expectantly and I dropped my key into his palm. Reid unlocked the door and pushed me inside with a not so gentle nudge and followed me into the room.

The sound of the deadbolt sliding into place knocked me from my trance-like stupor. With a groan I kicked off my heels and began to pace my room. Reid just stood there leaning back against my door watching me. I could literally feel his stare. It was irritating and unnerving at the same time and I hated it.

Just as I was about to finally give him a piece of my mind and demand answers another more intense pain shot through me. A scream caught in the back of my throat, tangling with the oxygen that whooshed out of my lungs.

I could feel a blackout coming on and out of instinct I threw my right hand out and summoned the chair from my desk. It leapt across the room to my outstretched fingers. My vision began to fade as I crumbled into it, panting with the fire that was coursing through my body.

My ears were ringing and somewhere in the middle of it all, Reid's startled "what the fuck?" registered.

"Don't tell," I managed to whisper just before the darkness claimed me.


	6. Chapter 6

My body ached all over. It was the first thing I noticed when I came to. I felt as though I'd been trampled by a legion of goblins and my head was throbbing. Daddy had told me there would be discomfort but he never mentioned blinding, debilitating pain that shot through your body like a thousand tiny, white hot knives.

I groaned and rolled over onto my back. Moving proved to be a bad idea because it made my head hurt worse. It was then that I realized I was lying on my bed instead of the floor.

I closed my eyes and cursed silently. Garwin. My eyes flew open again when I remembered summoning that chair right before I'd passed out - and I'd done it right in front of him. Damn! How was I going to explain my way out of that one?

"You're awake," I heard him say. Very slowly, I turned my head in the direction of his voice and found him sitting in that same chair with his elbows resting on his knees. He'd discarded his jacket and had pulled his shirt tails from his waistband. From the looks of it, he'd been there awhile and had no plans of leaving anytime soon.

"How long was I out?" I finally asked. My voice sounded harsh to my own ears, raspy and thick. I had cotton mouth something fierce.

"Not long," he answered. "Maybe half an hour."

We stared at each other then. For a long time, neither of us spoke again. I honestly didn't know what to say. This wasn't a scenario I'd ever imagined finding myself in. And up until that night, I'd never used magic in front of anyone other than my parents. The fact that I was certain Reid had magic of his own only complicated things further.

He sat there looking back at me, his eyes full of doubts, questions and accusations. It hurt somehow to see him looking at me like that. And what bothered me the most is that despite that I couldn't help but notice how pretty his eyes were. It was like I was seeing him, really seeing him for the first time.

Thankfully that rather dangerous train of thought was broken by the ringing of Reid's cell phone. He ignored it for a moment then sighed and answered it.

"Yeah…what happened?…Are you…where's Sarah?…What about Chase?" He listened for a few minutes, nodding occasionally and rubbing at his chin. Then, "I'm with her…yeah, she's fine. I'll talk to you later."

He snapped the phone closed the tossed it onto my desk then said, "So, what the fuck was that, Williams?"

I took a deep breath then rolled over onto my side to push myself up. If I was going to do this, I was going to do it sitting up, damn it. The pain had subsided for the most part to a dull ache but it still hurt and it definitely made moving around difficult. I pushed myself back so that I was resting against the headboard of my bed and looked at him.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours," I said finally.

He cocked his head to one side, confused. "What are you talking about?"

I couldn't help it, I laughed. "Cut the crap, Reid. I've seen your eyes."

He recoiled as though I'd hit him. _Didn't_ _expect_ _that_ _one,_ _did_ _you?_ I observed silently. Naturally he denied knowing what I was talking about.

But there was more to it than just that. I could feel it. It was like he was protecting more than his own ass. That's when it hit me. All the times when everyone seemed to know something I didn't. They way he, Caleb, Pogue and Tyler were always together.

He wasn't the only one.

I changed tactics then. "Look, I'm not going to throw a bunch of questions at you or call you a freak. I've just seen that thing you do with your eyes. You've got magic in you, Garwin. I know enough about it by now to recognize it."

Whatever it was I expected him to do it wasn't outright admitting to it - which is exactly what he did. Or rather was in the process of doing when yet another pain hit me.

This time I did scream. I reached out, I don't know for what but the next thing I knew, Reid was there. Right beside me on my bed, threading his fingers through mine. He held on as I rode out the pain and with him anchoring me, this time I didn't pass out.

When it was over and I could breathe again, I said, "Some birthday present, huh?"

"Birthday present?" he repeated, his face pale with shock. "Are you telling me you're ascending?"

"I don't what ascending is but it's definitely not what I'm going through. Not by a long shot." I didn't think it was possible for him to look any more confused but his shocked yet curious expression changed to one of complete bafflement.

"Then what about the chair and all this?" he asked, waving his hand in my direction.

I could only assume he was talking about the pain and I decided it was better to start from the beginning. Idly, I rubbed my hands up and down my upper arms as I began.

"Have you ever heard the myth of the Goblin King?"

"It's a children's story. Who hasn't?" he stated. "What's that matter?"

"It matters," I explained. "Because he's my father."


	7. Chapter 7

I wish I could tell you that everything was okay after my little confession. But that just wasn't the case. Nope. Not at first anyway.

Reid accused me of everything from being out of my mind to being in league with Chase Collins. I sat there silently as he raged at me. When he finally ran out of breath from his tirade, he raked his hands through his hair and pulled at the roots before dropping back down into the chair.

"Are you finished?" I asked. He looked at me sharply and snarled. Whatever he intended to say was never said. I stood on shaky legs and announced, "I really wish it didn't have to be this way. Just remember you didn't give me any choice."

The walls of my dorm room faded away into the dry, dusty hilltop that overlooked the Labyrinth. Reid landed hard on his butt when the chair disappeared. He scrambled to his feet and looked from me to the Labyrinth then back at me again.

"Is that…?" he asked, dumbfounded. I nodded. "Then you're really…?" Again, I nodded. He raked a hand through his hair again. "How?"

A moment later, we were back in my room. We sat side by side on my bed while I explained everything. I told him about Mom wishing Uncle Toby away to the goblins. I told him about how she'd beaten the Labyrinth and how Daddy had fallen in love with her then. I explained about how he'd known she was too young at the time to really understand and how he'd given her time to grow up.

Then, I told him about my being the only Halfling to have been born in a millennia. Naturally, he made a few Hobbit jokes which earned him an elbow or two in his ribs. But his good natured teasing turned to shock then horror as I told him about my 'inheritance'.

When I was finished, he just looked at me. Then he finally spoke. "Jesus. And I thought we had it bad."

I laughed a little at that. "Yeah, I know. It really sucks."

"So you've got a year from your birthday to decide what you're going to do?"

"It's not enough time. I don't think a lifetime would be enough to choose between my parents," I said dejectedly.

Reid wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me against him. "As much as mine piss me off, I can't even imagine having to choose one over the other."

I sighed. "Your turn. What's the deal with you guys?"

He took a deep breath and regarded me seriously. "You have to understand something first, Erin. There was a time when the Covenant was taken so seriously that I would have been killed for breaking it." At my confused look, he explained. "Three hundred years ago, a Covenant of Silence was made between the five founding families of Ipswich. It was made to protect them. I need you to swear to me that you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you."

"I swear I won't tell anyone anything you reveal to me," I said, taking his hand. "I swear it on my honor as the daughter of the Goblin King."

That must have been good enough for him because he continued his tale. He told me about the power that was passed on to the eldest male child born into each generation of each family. He explained how seductive it could be and he explained the consequence of over-using the power. He told me how they would receive their full power on their eighteenth birthdays when they each would ascend.

And then he told me about Chase Collins. I didn't know what to think at that point. I was simply overwhelmed by the realization that my instincts had been right all along. Then I began to feel guilty because I'd known something was off with Chase and hadn't said a word to anyone, not even Daddy. I felt sick.

"Are Caleb and Sarah okay? What about Pogue and Kate?" I asked.

"That was Caleb who called earlier. Everyone is fine. What about you though? How are you holding up? You did black out earlier, you know."

I laughed again. "I'm okay. It's just the change. Tomorrow is my birthday. It will all be over then - I think."

"What kind of change?" He cocked his head to one side and grinned mischievously.

Shaking my head in amusement, I answered that it was just my body adjusting to the magic as my Fae side became more prominent. The pain was just a nasty side effect.

We fell into a companionable silence, each thinking about what the other had said. It was a lot to take in - for both of us. The more I thought about Reid's revelation, the more things began to make sense.

It dawned on me then, why he didn't spend his time studying and why he goofed off most of the time in class. He didn't expect to live long enough for it to matter.

The next morning I woke to find myself curled against Reid's side with my head resting on his shoulder. It wasn't the most comfortable of positions. My neck and shoulders were knotted up and screaming for relief. He woke the moment I moved to sit up.

His hair was sleep-mussed and stubble dotted his chin and jaw. At some point during the night, Reid had removed his shirt and my eyes were drawn to the pale, muscled torso. I'm a girl and I've got eyes. Sue me.

"G'morning," he mumbled as he stretched. "What time is it?"

I looked at the clock on my end table. "After eight," I answered. "Thanks for staying with me." Another pain had hit me late the night before and Reid had insisted on keeping watch over me, just in case I needed help. It was too sweet really.

"No problem." He sat up and swung his legs over the opposite side of the bed. "Happy birthday." His smile was contagious and I found myself grinning back at him.

"Thanks."

Reid stood and after stretching one last time, slipped his shirt back on followed by his jacket. "I've gotta go meet Caleb and Tyler at the hospital this morning."

I nodded. "I should check on Kate too."

Leaning over, he placed a quick kiss on my cheek. "Be ready at seven."

Confused, I asked, "Be ready for what?"

"We're going to Nicky's to celebrate." I was still wondering exactly what it was that we were going to celebrate when the door clicked shut behind him. Caleb's birthday? Mine? Chase's defeat? Or all of the above?

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. A scratching at my window drew my attention. Fluttering its wings outside was a snowy, white barn owl. "Daddy!" I squealed as I jumped up to open the window.


	8. Chapter 8

No matter what anybody tells you, hot water is still the best remedy for achy muscles in my book. As I stood under the spray, I rubbed at my sore neck and shoulder with one hand, the other was braced against the tile wall.

It was my birthday and in a few short hours, my 'inheritance' would be complete. I ran my tongue over my teeth, noting the distended points of my canines. They weren't overly noticeable but they were longer than normal for human teeth.

With a sigh, I turned off the water and grabbed my towel from a hook on the opposite wall. Wrapping it around me, I stepped out of the shower and padded back to my room. My thoughts were focused on my father's visit. I stroked the amulet that hung from my neck. It was a smaller, more feminine version of the one Daddy wore. He'd given it to me that morning as a birthday gift. One of many, he'd promised.

I let myself back into my dorm and after dropping my towel onto the chair began to dress for the day. I slipped into a pair of distressed, low rise jeans and pulled a long sleeved black tee shirt over my head. A snap of my fingers dried my hair and left it falling down my back and over my shoulders in soft waves.

While I could also snap my fingers and use magic to apply my make up, it was something I enjoyed doing for myself. Since it was Saturday and I'd just washed my face, I opted for a little eyeliner, a quick brushing of mascara and a dab of lip gloss. I slid my feet into a pair of black, canvas sneakers, grabbed my favorite suede jacket from my closet then set out for the hospital.

I walked into the woods behind the school auditorium then sifted to the gas station a few blocks down from the Gloucester Medical Center. I materialized in the ladies' bathroom which thankfully was empty. It was a reckless move on my part but I couldn't find Sarah before I left.

Any question I had as to where she could have been was answered when I stepped into the hospital waiting room. Still dressed in her evening gown from last night's dance and with Caleb's suit jacket draped around her shoulders, Sarah sat off to the far left.

When she saw me, she smiled and waved me over. Her smile froze and she dropped her hand a second later. I looked over my shoulder and saw Caleb standing at the foot of the stairs, his posture rigid and his hands shoved in his pockets.

I looked back at my friend and wondered what had happened to make her so afraid of him. Thinking back on what Reid had told me the night before, I remembered that she had been right in the middle of whatever had happened between Caleb and Chase.

Having grown up around magic, I couldn't imagine what it must have been like for Sarah to witness it like that. For me, magic was something pure and elemental. It was a part of me. But for someone like Chase, who had been corrupted by the power he hadn't understood, it would have been something dark and ugly.

I glanced back at Caleb who looked stricken by the fear that was so evident in Sarah's eyes. My heart suddenly ached for them. I was reminded painfully of my parents.

"How's Kate?" I asked as I sat down next to her.

She smiled a little. "She's good. The doctor said she's made a miraculous recovery." She glanced at Caleb again then. "Pogue is fine too. They should be releasing them both later this afternoon."

I smiled back. "How are you?" I gave her a meaningful look.

"I..I'm fine," she stammered, then ran her hands over her stained dress. "I must look terrible."

"You're beautiful," Caleb said. I hadn't heard him approach and neither had Sarah. She gasped and paled slightly.

Taking her hand, I leaned close and whispered in her ear. "Don't be afraid. If you love him the way I think you do, don't give up." I squeezed her hand gently then let go.

Sarah stared at me for a long moment then nodded in understanding. She stood and wrapped her arms around Caleb. I heard her whisper that she was sorry just before she grabbed his hand and dragged him away.

"Isn't that sweet?" I heard someone say. I looked up and found myself looking into Reid's laughing eyes.

"She's terrified," I said flatly. "What happened last night, Reid?"

He stretched his hand out towards me and answered, "Come on. Let's get outta here."

I placed my palm in his and followed him out of the hospital. We walked for a few minutes until we reached a small play park. It was the kind of place families went to have picnics, complete with towering oaks, a wooden play set built in the shape of a castle, and side by side swings.

It was empty which surprised me given that it was a Saturday. There were times when I missed New York terribly. All the quiet stillness of Ipswich and Gloucester were sometimes a little too complete for my comfort.

We each sat in a swing and pushed off a bit. The sand was damp from last night's rain and it stuck to my shoes.

"He's gone," Reid said at last.

"What do you mean 'gone'?" I asked. "Is he dead?"

He shrugged. "Caleb doesn't know. He just disappeared. The fire department never found a body."

The idea that Chase could still be out there and possibly bent on revenge sent a chill down my spine. It wasn't something I wanted to contemplate.

"I heard someone say that Putnam Barn burned down last night. Is that where it all happened?" He nodded. "How's Caleb holding up?"

He shrugged again. "He hasn't said much. I think he's still feeling like he's somehow at fault. Fucking hero complex."

We looked at each other then and immediately burst out laughing. He was right. Caleb did tend to take things way too seriously. He was Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, and Hermione Granger all rolled into one. I said as much and Reid laughed so hard he fell backwards out of the swing, landing with a soft thud in the moist sand.

When I offered a hand to help him up, he gave it a hard tug and pulled me down. I fell gracelessly to land in a sprawled heap across his chest. Laughing even harder, he rolled us both until he was lying on top of me. Our laughter died when he pushed back and looked into my eyes.

At that moment, my mind was wiped clean of anything that wasn't Reid Garwin. My eyes were fixed on his face, taking in the high, angular bones of his cheeks. The chilly

yet beautiful grey depths of his eyes. The fullness of his lower lip.

It was his lips that were my undoing. Without warning, he ducked his head and closed the distance, crushing his mouth to mine. And then sensation took over. Heat coursed through me at the first sweep of his tongue against mine and I arched up against him before curling my arms around his neck.

One of his hands fisted in my hair while the other cupped my jaw. We kissed. And kissed. And kissed. I couldn't seem to get enough of him, nor he of me. I'd never been kissed like that. In truth, I'd never been kissed before, period. And as first kisses go, it was off the charts.

Someone coughed, the clearing of the throat to get your attention kind of cough. Reluctantly, I slipped my arms from around Reid's neck and gave him a little push. I looked over his shoulder and froze.

Standing not ten feet away in all his Underground glory was my father and he wasn't happy.


	9. Chapter 9

Mortified just doesn't cover it. Being caught kissing the way were kissing is one thing. Being caught kissing the way we were kissing while lying in the wet sand in full view of anyone who happened by, especially when that someone was your father was something else entirely.

He stood with one hand braced on his hip while the other tapped his riding crop against his thigh in agitation. His eyes were full of displeasure, promising a number of unpleasant experiences.

"Shit," I whispered then gave Reid a solid shove. I quickly scrambled to my feet and brushed the sand from my hair and clothes. "Hi, Daddy."

"Shit," I heard Reid echo before standing beside me. "Is he going to kill me?" he asked beneath his breath.

"Do I need to, Mr. Garwin?" my father asked, crossing his arms over his chest. His riding crop dangled from his wrist, forgotten for the moment.

I have to give Reid credit. Most people when faced with my father's fury would have pissed themselves and run screaming for the hills. But he just stood there and stared back.

"No, sir. You don't," he answered, squaring his shoulders. Daddy raised one eyebrow, questioningly. "It just happened, sir."

"See that it doesn't 'just' happen again," Daddy said, then he smirked. "The next time you kiss my daughter, try not to do so in the sand."

The play of emotions across Reid's face was comical but I held my laughter in. Now just wasn't the time. It was obvious he'd expected a different reaction. In all honesty, so had I. My father had been furious when he'd first appeared.

"You're late, Erinara."

I looked down at my watch and groaned. He was right. I was supposed to meet him in my room thirty minutes ago. "I'm so sorry, Daddy. I lost track of time." His eyebrow shot up again, this time in amusement. I ignored him and turned to Reid. "I have to go. I'll meet you at Nicky's later. Okay?"

Still wary of my father, he simply nodded. I kissed him quickly on his cheek before taking my father's hand. Reid's wide-eyed amazement was the last thing I saw before reappearing in the Underground.

The birthday celebration Daddy had arranged for me in Goblin City lasted well into the night. As a special gift, he reordered time when it was over so that I would be able to keep my date with Reid. I was exhausted when I pushed open the back door at Nicky's. I'd taken two steps inside when I heard raised voices.

"What the hell were you thinking?" I heard Caleb hiss from around the corner. "She's not one of us."

"Who the fuck do you think you are, Caleb?" Reid shouted back.

"Lower your voice, man," another voice commanded.

"Stay out of this, Pogue. Besides, I want an answer. What gives you the right? Because you're the oldest and you've ascended?"

I slid along the wall, creeping closer so that I could better hear the conversation. It hurt more than it should have, hearing them argue.

"It's not like that, Reid. And you know it," Caleb growled in response. "It's just that after this whole thing with Chase, we have to be even more careful who we trust."

"You mean the way you trust Sarah?" There was silence.

Then Caleb answered, "It's not the same."

"The hell it isn't!"

Reid came storming around the corner and stopped short when he saw me standing there, shaking. I was furious. The air crackled with energy around me. During my birthday celebration in the Underground, the change had been completed and my magic had matured - and I was fighting to reign it in, heightened as it was by my anger.

"Erin," he said, going pale. He reached out and put a hand on my arm. I shook it off and walked back outside. I didn't trust myself to speak. I just paced back and forth, trying to get a grip on myself.

The rear door opened and closed behind me.

"Erin." This time it was Caleb who called out to me. I rounded on him, my eyes flashing.

"Don't," was all I said.

"I'm sorry," he replied.

I turned and looked at him then. Remorse was etched all over his face.

"I would never betray Reid," I told him. "Or any of you."

"How can I know that for sure?" he countered.

"How can you be sure about Sarah?"

Caleb didn't answer right away. His shoulders slumped and he shook his head. "I can't. But after what happened with Chase, I can't take any more chances."

Mom had told me a few years before that when you're dealing with people to always look beyond the obvious. It was something she'd learned the hard way when dealing with my father. On the surface it looked like Caleb was mad at Reid for breaking the Covenant by telling me about his powers. Looking beyond that I saw fear. He was genuinely afraid of getting anyone else hurt.

I stopped pacing and placed my hand on his arm. "You feel responsible for them, I get that. But I'm responsible for me and I swear to you, that if you give me your trust, you will have mine."

"What are you talking about?"

A car pulled into the drive and blinded us for a moment with its headlights then turned into the parking lot. When the spots cleared from my eyes, I saw Reid standing right behind Caleb. He looked beyond angry.

"What the hell is this?" he demanded.


	10. Chapter 10

Call me vain, but the sight of Reid's obvious jealousy made me want whoop and do a happy dance, right there in the alley. But considering the fact that he looked ready to go nuclear on me, I restrained myself.

What is it about macho 'hands off, she's mine' displays that just makes a girl go all gooey inside? Caleb must have realized what was going on inside my head because he grinned at me, all wide and toothy. He shrugged his shoulders a bit and shook his head.

"I said, what the hell is this?" Reid ground out, bowing up like a cobra ready to strike.

I lifted my hand from Caleb's arm and curled my fingers into a tight fist as I stepped around him. The part of me that hadn't gone mushy over Reid wanted to knock the crap out of him for thinking the worst.

"What does it look like? We were talking," I said, lifting my chin defiantly and staring him in the eye. "As flattering as your jealousy is, Reid, it's misplaced."

He scoffed. "Jealous? I'm not jealous."

"You're positively green with it." I was trying really hard not to laugh - or hit him. He wasn't making it easy to resist doing either one.

"Come on, Reid," Caleb coaxed. "I apologized for what I said back in the hall. I've apologized to both of you. Now, can we just go back inside?"

"Sure, man. Whatever." He never even looked at Caleb. He just kept staring at me. Hard.

The moment the door closed behind him, Reid, grabbed my wrist, yanked me to him and kissed me long and deep. My knees were weak by the time we parted. Reid wrapped an arm around my waist to steady me.

"What the hell was that?" I asked, punching him in the shoulder for good measure.

"Just taking your father's advice." He was grinning, the ass. "What were you two really talking about when I walked out?"

I couldn't have stopped myself from smiling then even if my life had depended on it. "Admit it, Garwin. You're jealous."

He didn't reply, just leaned in and kissed me again. "Does that feel like jealous to you, Williams?"

I licked my lips. "Damn right it does." I wrapped my hand around the back of his neck and pulled him back to me. Our lips met again but this time it was slower. It set my blood on fire and sent my pulse racing. I ended it slowly, drawing it out as long as I could stand it.

"I asked him to trust me and promised to trust him," I whispered against Reid's lips. "He was telling the truth about apologizing too."

He nodded, accepting my explanation. "I've just got one more question," he said, nipping gently at my lips. "What's this thing with us?"

Curling my arms around his neck, I asked, "Do you want there to be an 'us'?"

His hands found my hips and he pressed his forehead to mine. "Yeah," he breathed. "I want."

"There's your answer then. Just no promises, okay?"

He looked disappointed but it was the best I could do. My future was still too uncertain and the last thing I wanted to do was hurt him in the process of making my decision. Eventually he agreed and we rejoined the others inside.

By the time the joint birthday celebration (we decided to celebrate both Caleb's and mine at the same time) ended, I was dead on my feet.

Reid stayed with me again that night. Other than a few heated kisses and some serious snuggling, nothing happened. Sorry to disappoint.

Over the next few weeks, we were always together. Remember when I said Sarah and Caleb were both sweet and nauseating at the same time? Pot, meet Kettle. I was in the same, sad, sappy boat. I tried really hard to keep my feelings in check but it proved to be impossible.

Oh and speaking of Caleb? He and I finally reached an understanding of sorts. No, I didn't confess all but we did agree to give ourselves the time to earn each other's trust. He still teased Reid mercilessly about his jealousy though. I couldn't say anything though - I was doing the same thing.

But back to the whole falling for him thing. The more I came to realize just how much I was beginning to care for him, the more it freaked me out. I wasn't any closer to deciding which life I was going to choose and right smack in the middle of it all, I had to go and fall head over heels for Reid Garwin. Talk about bad timing.


	11. Chapter 11

As the weeks slipped by, I grew more and more conflicted. The more time I spent with Reid and the others, the harder it became to make a decision regarding my future. Up until that school year, my circle of friends had been rather limited, most of them residing in the Underground. Now, I had a boyfriend I adored, two girls I called my best friends and three adopted brothers. In a very short period of time, we'd become a family of sorts.

Okay, so the boys had always been a family. Three hundred-plus years of secrecy tended to yield closer bonding than your usual teenage friendships. But where they were once four, now we were seven. Most of our free time was spent together, largely because Caleb's mother had opened her home to us and encouraged our weekend gatherings.

The house itself was beautiful in an old world sort of way. There were dark paneled walls, frosted sconces and lots of marble. Heavy, velvet drapes covered the windows while hunting trophies from an era long past stood watch. Walking through Caleb's front door was like taking a step backwards in time – or would be if it weren't for the flat screen TV's and the Sub Zero fridge. Still, Mrs. Danvers didn't seem to mind having us underfoot. I think having us around help ease some of her loneliness. According to Kate – who remained blissfully unaware of what was happening around her – Caleb's dad had died a few years back and that was the reason he stayed at home rather than at the dorms.

Remember that whole 'hero complex' thing? Caleb took it to a whole new level as Halloween and Reid's birthday drew closer. He went from being slightly guarded to outright jumpy almost overnight. When I asked Reid about it, he flew into a rant about Caleb being a control freak and how he had all this power he refused to use. I ended up having to kiss him in order to shut him up. Hey, I go with what works and kissing Reid always, always worked for me.

Outside of classes and the time we spent our friends, we were inseparable. Granted, between studying, my extra lessons with my dad and his swim schedule, that didn't leave us much time. Still, what time there was, we used it wisely. Get your mind out of the gutter. I wasn't quite ready for all _that_ just yet. But I certainly wasn't opposed to some heavy make-out sessions.

About a week before his birthday things started getting a little strained between us. He'd been using his power more than he should and recklessly at that. I was concerned and when I confronted him about it, he just shrugged it off. The argument that followed wasn't pretty. With the kind of magic we were both wielding it was little wonder. Hereditary magic, be it mortal or Fae, is directly tied to one's emotions, enabling you to channel that extra energy into your power. And when you're good and royally pissed off at your significant other things are going to get broken. Hell, they may even just shatter or explode. I was just happy we were in his room instead of mine when it happened.

Still, he was beginning to worry me. Ultimately the fight ended with both of us apologizing to the other and coming pretty damned close to having make-up sex. But I like I said, I wasn't ready for that yet and I definitely didn't want my first time being the result of an argument. Call me silly or romantic, but I wanted to lose my virginity the old fashioned way. You know, drunk on prom night. Just kidding. But seriously, I wanted my first time to be something special so I put the breaks on just as Reid was tugging my jeans down my hips. It took some effort, but I managed to placate him well enough – and no, I'm not giving you the details so you'll just have to use your imagination. Suffice it to say, Reid Garwin went to bed with a smile that night and he didn't go to bed alone.

Then halfway through the week of Halloween, which coincidentally was Reid's birthday, Spenser received another transfer student. She was tall, pretty, a little on the goth side and had attitude rolling off of her in all caps. Her name was Chastity of all things and she had Reid's attention immediately. Oh, he wasn't doing anything worth landing himself in the Bog or an oubliette, but he didn't make his interest a secret either.

Caleb, Danu be praised, wasn't quite as charmed by the new girl. For once I was actually grateful for his reserve as our little circle remained in tact. No outsiders allowed and he made sure Reid knew it.

I'll admit that I was jealous of his obvious attraction to Chastity though. Who wouldn't be? But the fact that I didn't know yet just where my future would lie, I couldn't blame Reid for peaking over the fence into another pasture. We'd said no promises, hadn't we?

But, like I said, Caleb wasn't as enthusiastic and kept her on the outside. Our weekends at his house remained just the seven us. Call me selfish, but I preferred it that way. It was on one of those weekends when I discovered just how bad my allergy to iron had become after receiving my inheritance, effectively taking my mind off of my relationship woes.

Caleb's house was a couple of centuries old and still sported a lot of its original hardware. Most of the doorknobs were either brass or glass but a few had been replaced at some point with iron. I was looking for the second floor bathroom and got a little turned around when I had the misfortune of wrapping my fingers around one. God, but it hurt. It hurt like nothing I'd ever experienced before. It felt as if my skin were being burned right off. My knees buckled under the intensity.

I must have screamed because the next thing I knew, Reid was kneeling beside me.

"What happened? What's wrong?" he asked. Worry was written all over his face. He saw me clutching my left hand to my chest and reached for it. I jerked away, still pissed about his earlier insistence that Chastity be invited along – which naturally had been denied. His expression hardened just a bit. "What happened to your hand, Erin?"

"It's nothing, Reid. I'll be fine," I lied. "I'm okay, really."

"The hell you are," he said reaching for my hand and this time capturing it before I could move away. Very carefully, he turned it over. I felt tears burning the back of my eyes. "Jesus Christ," he whispered when he got his first look at the blistered skin of my palm. "What did this?"

I nodded towards the door knob. "It's made of iron. I didn't know."

"Iron?" He was confused for a moment until he remembered what I'd told him about the pro's and con's of being born half-Fae. "Oh, shit. It's Faery Kryptonite, right?"

"Something like that," I mumbled. I could hear footsteps on the stairs. The others must have heard me cry out. "Can you help me up? I need to take care of this before anyone sees."

"Yeah, you definitely don't want Caleb to see that. He'll ask too many questions."

Reid walked with me to the bathroom then, after asking me if I'd be okay, kissed my cheek briefly (I'd turned my head away leaving said cheek as his only option) and headed towards the stairs to run interference. I heard Tyler's voice and breathed a sigh of relief. He would be a whole lot easier to distract than Caleb.

As soon as I was certain they were far enough away, I pressed my uninjured hand to the mirror above the sink and called for my father. His face appeared in the glass seconds later.

"I'm surprised to be hearing from you again today, Erinara," he said in greeting. "Surprised, but pleased."

"Daddy, I need your help," I explained in a rush and showed him my hand. "I lost a fight with a doorknob. What do I do? It really hurts."

My father raised an eyebrow. "It appears you have more of my blood in you than we'd first believed."

I rolled my eyes. "Ya think? How do I fix it?"

"I take it you're not at school?" I shook my head. "Do I even want to know where you are?" I rolled my eyes again and he sighed. "Cover it for now and when you get back to your dorm, call me again. I'll help you through and have my physician see to it. It's nothing an Elvish poultice can't remedy."

"Thanks, Daddy," I said in relief.

"Try to be more careful, daughter. Oh, and Erinara?"

"Yes?"

He smiled mischievously. "The next time you have that boy in your room, cover your mirror."

I squeaked in embarrassment earning a hearty chuckle from my father before he disappeared from the mirror. While, as I mentioned earlier, Reid and I hadn't had sex yet, we had messed around plenty. The thought that my dad had witnessed any of it was beyond horrifying. Still blushing to the roots of my hair, I tugged the thin, jade green silk scarf I was wearing from around my neck and wrapped it around my left hand with a hiss of pain. Did I mention that it hurt like hell?

When I opened the bathroom door, I came face to face with Caleb. He was leaning against the hallway wall and he didn't look happy. I don't know how much he heard but I hoped it was nothing at all. He looked at my hand pointedly before crossing his arms over his chest and staring at me, hard.

I didn't want to lie to him. He was my friend. But whenever he looked at me like that, for reasons I couldn't name, I suddenly became nervous and defensive. Until that day, Caleb had never come right out and asked me but I was certain he suspected something. We were still working on the whole trust thing. After what had happened with Chase, I honestly couldn't blame him for being a little bit cautious. Still, I wasn't ready to tell him the truth about myself. Not yet. Especially with Reid's birthday just around the corner.

Sighing, I said, "I know what you're asking me, Caleb. And I _want _to tell you. I will tell you, I promise. But after Reid…after his birthday, okay?"

He seemed to think my words over for a moment before he nodded in reluctant agreement. "You asked me to trust you, Erin and I have. But I promise you this, if you lie to me, if I think for one second that you're a threat or that you're going to betray any of us, I will not hesitate to defend the people I care about."

I understood him perfectly. He'd kill me and he would sleep well that night. I respected him more in that moment than ever before. Caleb was a pain my ass at times with all his rigid rules and paranoia but he was one of the most selfless and noble people I'd ever met.

"Okay." I chewed on my lower lip for a second as we continued to watch each other cautiously. "After Reid's ascension. You pick the place and I'll tell you everything. What you choose to do with what I tell you is up to you."

That seemed to satisfy him because he unfolded his arms, pushed away from the wall and started back down the stairs without a backward glance.

The moment Caleb disappeared from my view, I sagged against the bathroom door. I was so screwed.


	12. Chapter 12

I didn't get to see Reid before he ascended on his birthday. Nervous worry ate away at my stomach lining as I waited for word that he was okay. We'd had another of our spectacular arguments the night before which had ended in a make-up make-out session in the back of Tyler's H2.

What sparked this latest disagreement, you might be wondering? I'll give you three guesses but you'll probably only need one. That's right: Chastity. I was really beginning to hate that girl.

Everywhere we went, she always seemed to be right there. Granted, she did gift all four of the guys with her own creepy, unblinking stare but it was whenever she looked at Caleb that a shiver danced down my spine. There was so much hate in her eyes that it was almost palpable. I didn't have time to ponder her strange behavior for long because she'd moved on to Reid by that time, wrapping him securely around her finger with her witty banter and sinful smiles.

Every petty, jealous bone in my body reacted with violent, territorial rage when she plopped her barely covered ass down next to him during lunch. Ironically, it was Caleb who put a restraining hand on my arm and suggested I check myself. I glanced down at his fingers where they were curled around my forearm and then back up at him. His eyes told me he felt it. Magic sizzled beneath my skin the way electricity hums along a power line.

"Okay," I said with a heavy sigh. "I'll behave."

He raised an eyebrow. "I'll talk to him."

Forgive me if I wasn't reassured. The idea of Caleb having a little "how to treat your girlfriend" chat with Reid didn't bode well for the object of the conversation: me. And I was right.

Reid stormed into my room without so much as a 'hello' later that evening. He was furious over his friend's interference and my alleged instigation of said interference. Defending myself had been pointless. Of course, my enthusiastic Chastity-bashing hadn't helped the situation either. I couldn't help it if I didn't like the way he looked at her or the way she'd draped herself all over him. She'd practically been in his lap for Danu's sake.

We were still fighting when we walked outside to join Tyler. The three of us had plans to catch a flick in the village, a pre-birthday celebration of sorts. Tyler didn't say a word. Instead, he handed his keys to Reid and shaking his head, went back inside.

The movie was eighty-sixed in favor of driving out to Marble Head where we resolved our fight the old fashioned way. Again, mind out of gutter. By 'old fashioned' I meant that Reid conceded that I was right and that he, by default and by gender, had been in the wrong. Then came the making-up. He was good a making-up, really good.

Later that night, he dropped me off at my dorm and kissed me goodnight. Naturally, we ended up making out again until someone yelled at us to get a room. Laughing, we pulled away from each other. Reid promised to call me the next day when it was over.

He was to ascend in the morning at nine thirty-three.

"Are you scared?" I asked as I toyed with the strings of his hoodie. I knew very little about the process of ascension itself. Caleb never spoke of his and I couldn't exactly blame him. No one liked to talk about that night, him most of all.

Reid smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. "What's to be scared of?" Translation: he was scared shitless.

"Will it hurt?"

"Yeah," he answered honestly. "But it won't be anything like what Caleb went through. His was bad because his dad willed him his power. Since my old man isn't ready to do that it should be over pretty quick."

I wanted to be there with him but understood why I couldn't. It had been done this way for centuries among the Garwin's. Only the men of his family would be there to witness it.

After a few more minutes of kiss-laden reassurance that yes, he would be fine, Reid finally left. I hated to see him go but it was late and I was tired. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

I woke early. That much I'd expected. My dreams had been filled with all sorts of ascension-gone-bad possibilities. To add insult to injury, more than half of them had starred little Miss Way Too Friendly herself. It was little wonder then that I was far from polite (or even civil) when I bumped into her at breakfast.

Okay, so maybe I should have been the bigger person and just let it go when she rammed her shoulder into mine as she passed by. But honestly, would you?

"What the hell is your problem?" I asked heatedly.

Chastity pursed her lips and smirked. "I don't know what you mean," she said. "You really should watch where you're going, Erin. One of these days you just might get…hurt."

I couldn't believe she'd just said that. Was she really threatening me in front of everyone? I looked around then and realized we were alone in the cafeteria.

She mistook my silence for fear and began to circle me. "What's the matter, Erin? Scared? Tsk, tsk. Not so bad ass are we without _them_?"

"Fuck off, Chastity," I replied, refusing to rise to the bait. She was obviously looking for a fight but I wasn't about to oblige her - no matter how badly she might deserve it. Given my current emotional state, engaging in any sort of confrontation was a really bad idea.

"Now why would I do that when Reid is only too willing?" she taunted me, flipping her purple-streaked hair. "Especially since you're not giving it up."

Apparently she was out for blood, my blood and she wasn't above playing dirty to get it. Vicious, catty bitch! I suddenly felt that surge of energy climb up my back again and course through my veins. It took every ounce of control I possessed to trample it down. I closed my eyes and willed myself to calm down.

Chastity, it appeared, didn't know the first thing about reading people because once again, she got me wrong. "Gonna cry now, are we?"

"What do you want, Chastity?" I asked, dropping the animosity from my voice as I opened my eyes.

She stopped circling me and grinned. There was something familiar about the way she smiled at me, familiar and frightening. It was evil and there was a maniacal gleam in her eye when she said meaningfully, "It's not about what I want but what I need." With one final toss of her hair, she sashayed out of the cafeteria, leaving me behind, frozen.

I don't know how long I stood there after she'd gone. For several long moments I'd been unable to move. Then my cell phone rang, shaking me out of my stupor. I pulled it out of my bag and checked the caller ID. It was Reid.

"How'd it go?" I asked with forced cheer. "Everything all right?"

"Never better," he replied. "Are we still on for tonight?"

"Tonight?"

"Costume party at Anderson Hall?"

"Costume? Wait, what?"

I must have sounded like an idiot because there was a touch of exasperation in his voice when he reminded me that a) it was Halloween and b) people generally wore costumes to parties on Halloween. I felt like an idiot too. I'd completely forgotten about the party. We'd decided to go as Jay and God from "Dogma" and because my mom is friends with Kevin Smith, she'd managed to score us exact replica costumes from the film. Every single detail was accurate too, from Jay's tee shirt right down to God's flowery flip flops.

"Yeah, sorry. I'm a bit distracted today, Reid," I apologized. "Are you picking me up or are we meeting there?"

"I'll pick you up at eight. See you then."

The rest of my day seemed to drag by. I couldn't stop thinking about the weird confrontation with Chastity and the nagging sense of familiarity when she'd smiled. It seriously creeped me out. I was saved from further contemplation by a loud and persistent knocking at my bedroom door.

I already knew who was on the other side.

Caleb.


	13. Chapter 13

I was expecting the Spanish inquisition. What I got was a gruff 'hey' and a suggestion that we meet at his house around noon the next day. Only too pleased to be delaying what was sure to be a lovely conversation, I told him I'd be there. Caleb studied me for a moment then muttered "Good," before disappearing down the hallway.

I shut the door with a shake of my head, wondering why he hadn't just called instead. Any other thoughts I might have had on the subject were lost when I glimpsed my bedside clock. It was already after six and I still needed to shower.

At eight-oh-two Reid knocked on my door. I gave my appearance one last glance and smoothed my skirt before answering. He looked great. Ball cap? Check. Long blond wig? Check. Trench coat and Chuck Taylor's? Check. Shit eating grin? CHECK!

"That's what I'm talkin' about," he drawled as he took me by my hips and dragged me closer. "Let's fuck."

I laughed out loud then clapped a hand over my mouth. It was a bad idea to encourage him.

"I'm kidding. You ready to go?" I nodded. Before I could blink, he pulled me out of my room and began tugging me down the hall. I laughed again as I flicked my wrist and closed and locked my door.

Anderson Hall was on the other side of campus. The building had at one time housed the school's auditorium but now was where majority of school functions were held. Formal dances and graduations were the only exceptions. By the time we reached the party, my feet were frozen. Flip flops and forty degree weather weren't the best combination.

Inside, the room had been decorated with the black and orange traditionally associated with the holiday. Toothy jack-o-lanterns winked all around and Michael Jackson's "Thriller" was blaring from the large speakers on either side of the DJ's table. We spotted Tyler easily. I mean, come on. How hard is it to find the Green Lantern in a sea of Playboy Bunnies, slutty pirate wenches and Jedi Knights? He was standing at a table not far away and waved us over when Reid shouted at him.

"Fuck yeah!" Pogue exclaimed, standing up from the table, grabbed the lapels of Reid's coat and swung him around to get a good look at his costume. "Where the hell do you get this, man? Dude, it's fucking Jay!"

"God's mom, where else?" Reid replied, grinning.

I elbowed him in the ribs before kissing him soundly. "Behave yourself. I'll be back. I'm going to go talk to Sarah."

"Hey! I thought God didn't talk?" he complained as I walked away laughing.

I found Sarah near the refreshment table chatting with one of the girls from our literature class. She'd chosen a snug, dark blue velvet jumpsuit a la Felicity Shagwell. It wasn't the kind of costume I'd wear but she looked good in it. I just hoped Caleb wasn't dressed as Austin tonight. That, I definitely would not be able to handle.

"Felicity!" I crooned. "You look great!"

"You too, God" she replied smoothly. She said goodbye to her friend before adding, "I saw Reid when you guys walked in. I can't believe I'm saying this but he makes a really good Jay."

I rolled my eyes as I said, "I know. He's getting a little too into it though. If he asks me if I want to fuck one more time…"

"Do I need to kick someone's ass?" Caleb asked from behind me. His tone was serious but I could sense the humor in it.

Shaking my head, I turned around and promptly forgot what I was going to say. You have to cut me some slack here. The Phantom has always made me weak-kneed. When conscious thought kicked back in, I smiled and said I was relieved to see he hadn't poured himself into striped polyester.

"That makes two of us," he said with a grin. "I couldn't talk Sarah into being my Christine tonight."

I looked at her questioningly and she swallowed a nervous laugh. "It's the corsets."

Her smile was superficial and I found myself concerned. Something was wrong. I was sure of it. Beside me, Caleb tensed then said something about needing to talk to Reid.

The moment he was out of ear shot, I crossed my arms over my chest and said, "Spill it."

"Spill what?" she asked, biting her lower lip.

"You know what I'm talking about. What's going on?" I know I said that getting involved in your friends' relationships was a bad idea but I just couldn't help myself.

She hesitated for a moment. Chewing nervously on her lip, she glanced Caleb's direction then looked at me and said, "I don't know if I can keep seeing him."

"What? Why?" I was incredulous. They seemed so happy together.

"It's me. And it's him. It's everything really. It's not that I don't love him. I do. But you know how hard it is, keeping their secret, knowing what they are. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop and meanwhile my grades are slipping. The whole reason I applied to Spenser was so that I could get into Harvard. I can't do that on a B-plus average."

As much as hated to admit it, I could sympathize with that. I was having a difficult time maintaining my own grade point average with everything I was currently trying to balance.

"Have you told him any of this?"

Sighing, she nodded. "He doesn't like it, but he understands. We've decided to slow things down, way down."

"How slow? As in seeing each other less slow, or breaking up slow?"

"That's just it," she replied miserably. "I don't know. Oh, there's Kate."

Our friend's arrival ended that conversation. If I'd thought Sarah's get up was bold, Kate's was ballsy - especially with a boyfriend like Pogue. But I will say this, her Cat Woman gave Halle Berry a run for her money. We both watched, expecting to see another of their apocalyptic skirmishes, but instead of reacting with his usual jealousy, Pogue simply wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her to him before planting a smacking kiss on her lips.

"Well," I laughed. "That's surprising."

"You're not kidding," Sarah agreed. "I'm glad that they've worked things out. Speaking of working things out, I heard you and Reid got into it again last night. Was it about _her_?"

"Of course. Is she here tonight?"

"Probably. Though she really wouldn't need a costume. She's scary enough without one."

I couldn't help but shudder. Memories of the morning's confrontation rose in my mind accompanied by the image of that smile.

A few minutes later, we rejoined our friends and managed to have a reasonably good time. There were more than a few jokes at Tyler's expense. He'd expected them though and was a good sport about it all. Pogue didn't have much room to talk. After all, he'd come as Batman.

It was almost ten when I returned to the table after getting drinks for the girls and me to find Reid had disappeared. I scanned the crowd and found no sign of him. Thinking he'd most likely snuck outside for a swig of the flask he kept tucked inside the center console of Tyler's truck, I sat down and passed Sarah and Kate their cups.

We chatted about nothing in particular for half an hour and still no sign of my wayward date. I was scanning the crowd again when my gaze collided with Caleb's. He jerked his head to the right and I nodded in understanding.

I excused myself from my friends and skirted the dance floor to where he was standing with Pogue.

"He's at the truck," Caleb said. "Half-drunk already."

There was an edge to his tone that told me he was familiar with this side of his friend and that he didn't like it. Neither did I, but Reid was Reid and there wasn't much we could do about it.

"Has he talked to either of you? About earlier, I mean?" I asked, seizing the opportunity to learn more about his ascension. He'd been less than forthcoming about the whole ordeal.

"Didn't say shit to me," Pogue answered. "Caleb?"

"Nah, he didn't tell me anything about it either."

I hadn't really expected him to talk to them but I was hoping they'd know something. It bothered me that Reid hadn't told me anything about his experience. He'd picked my brain for ours after I'd received my inheritance. It was only fair that I have the courtesy of the same.

The night air was crisp and cold as I wove my way through the parking lot towards the familiar bulk of Tyler's SUV. It was parked deep in the shadows in one of the far rows away from the sight of the hall. When I rounded the truck I felt the bottom fall out of my stomach.

He'd shed his trench coat and tossed it over the top of the Hummer but I doubted he could feel the cold. Not when he had _her _to keep him warm. He wasn't just kissing Chastity. He was devouring her. I felt sick. The bile that rose in my throat vanished and was replaced by fury when he slid his hand between her legs and beneath the scrap of cloth that was passing for her skirt.

My heartbeat pounded in my ears. My blood was boiling inside my veins and once again I felt a surge of power race up my spine. The air around me began to crackle. I took a step forward only to be jerked backwards against a hard chest.

"No!" he hissed in my ear.

"Let me go, Caleb," I growled, twisting and fighting against his hold. "I'm going to drop him into the Bog for this! Now let me go!"

He tightened his hold. "Not a chance. You'll just end up doing something stupid that you'll regret later."

Reid reached for his belt buckle and I finally lost it. I screamed his name. He froze and looked over his shoulder in horror. I didn't wait around to hear his excuses. I focused my power, sending a small shock of energy to the hands that were restraining me. Caleb instantly let go.

I ran across the campus, sobbing. My heart felt as though it was breaking into a million pieces. How could he? And with her? I thought, hoped that he loved me as much as I was coming to love him. I didn't pay attention to where I was running. I just kept going. It wasn't until I reached the top of the bell tower that I realized where I'd gone. Staring out over the canopy of trees, I wrapped my arms around my middle and continued to cry.

"He's not worth it," Caleb said softly as he came to stand beside me.

"Go away," I whispered brokenly. "Please, just go away."

"I can't. I felt you. I felt your magic, Erin."

I closed my eyes. That's the Caleb we all knew and loved. Here I was, falling apart at finding my boyfriend in the arms of another girl and he wanted to talk shop. It was suddenly too much. My birthday, my inheritance, Reid, Chastity, the secrets. All of it.

He'd taken off his mask. The thought registered for half a second when I whirled around and shoved him against the wall with a single hard push. There it was again. That rush of power coursing through my body desperately wanting to break free. The air sizzled and the wind began to pick up. I started to shake and went wide-eyed when I realized how close I was to losing the tenuous hold I had over it.

I should have called for my father but I didn't. Instead, I looked at Caleb with eyes full of naked terror and pleaded, "Help me. I don't…I don't know what to do."

Of all the possible ways he could have pulled me back from that precipice, kissing me senseless wasn't one I would have imagined.


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Note: Warning - mild adult content in this chapter. And if this turn of events freaks any of you out, have faith. Just keep youre eyes on the pitch. Curve ball comin' at ya really soon. But first, the slider...uh, no pun intended. Seriously.

* * *

I couldn't believe Caleb was kissing me. I could feel his lips moving over mine, taste him even, but I couldn't believe it. As far as diversionary tactics went, this one had to be tops. I felt all the rage and pain that had been fueling my magic slip away in the wake of my surprise.

He held my face in his hands, slowly working his mouth in a firm, but gentle back and forth slide over my own. For several mind boggling moments, I stood there, wide-eyed and rigid with shock. This was _Caleb _for fuck's sake!

Then, his tongue traced the seam of my lips and I was lost to it. Friends and principles be damned because they were long forgotten with the deepening of his kiss. My hands, which had been fisted at my sides, crawled up his chest and curled into the muscle there. He stepped closer until our bodies touched. His tongue swept across the point of one of my canines, nicking his skin and I tasted his blood.

Startled by the sudden, unexpected pain, he pulled back and his eyes searched mine. I didn't speak. To be perfectly honest, I couldn't. I was still trying to digest this unexpected turn of events. The pad of his thumb rubbed over the corner of my lip, drawing it up and allowing him to see my sharply pointed tooth. He let his thumb graze it before sliding his hand back along my jaw to cup the back of my neck.

My mind began to clear. What the hell were we doing? This was wrong. So very wrong on so many levels. I tried to take a step backwards only to have him tighten his grip. I growled and shoved at his chest. Still, he wouldn't let go. His eyes were dark and glittered dangerously in the darkness of the tower.

Curling my fingers around the lapels of his coat, I lifted him onto his toes and growled, "Let me go, Caleb."

His eyes widened just a bit in surprise before he loosened his hold. The moment I set him down and turned to walk away, he was right there, spinning me around until my back collided with the cold brick wall.

"I'm not afraid of you, Erin," he whispered against my lips before claiming them a second time. My resolve melted instantly. I don't know if it was what he said or the realization that I was well and truly pissed off at Reid. Besides, given his jealousy of Caleb, what better way was there to get a little revenge? I gave myself a mental shake, reprimanding myself silently for that dangerous train of thought. Did I really want to be _that_ girl?

"Wait," I said, tearing my mouth away. "What about Sarah? And Reid?" I had to know what he was thinking.

"Not about them," he answered as he drew the zipper on my jacket down and parted the silver fabric. His hands found my breasts and his voice was muffled by the press of his face into the side of my neck as he said my name.

"Hmm?" I managed to reply between playful nips of his teeth against my skin. If it wasn't about them, then what was this about?

Pulling back to look me in the eye, he said, "Shut up," then kissed me again.

I knew then that the time for thought was over. Sensation ruled me now. The feel of his hands and mouth on my body did strange things to my insides. I'd experienced desire with Reid. But this? This was way different. This was lust and passion on a primal level. It had nothing to do with whether we liked or cared about one another. It was about anger, heartache and hurt. It was about finding something that would take all of that away - even if only for a few stolen moments.

Caleb wedged one of his knees between my thighs, shoving me further up the wall until I had to wrap my arms around his shoulders for support. I felt him slip one of his hands between us but didn't register the motion until that same hand cupped my ass and hoisted me up half a second before he slammed inside me.

My scream was lost to the howling of the wind outside. I didn't scream because it hurt. It was more uncomfortable than it was painful and definitely nothing to cry out over. No, I screamed because I wasn't ready. I hadn't realized we'd gone so far in so short a time.

He didn't move. Just stood there with one arm bracing himself against the wall and his forehead pressed into the hollow of my shoulder. It didn't take a psychic to tell me what he was thinking. He thought he'd hurt me and the last thing Caleb Danvers ever wanted to do was hurt someone.

Grabbing a fistful of his hair, I gave it a little tug until he raised his head and looked at me. Yep, there it was. Self-loathing. And it was written all over his face.

I rose up and lightly bit his chin, scraping my teeth over the late evening stubble growing there. We'd come this far already. The damage was already done. We might as well salvage something from the experience. I let my lips trail down over his Adam's apple and down towards the collar of his shirt. With impatient fingers I fumbled over his buttons until I remembered that I didn't necessarily need to hid myself from him any longer. An abbreviated wave of my hand freed them all and I pressed a kiss to his chest just above his heart.

Whatever permission he'd needed in order to continue, that must have been enough because the next thing I knew, he was moving in me again, driving my body against the wall in smooth, powerful strokes.

I'd heard other girls talking about losing their virginity, swapping tales of how much it had hurt or how unsatisfying it had been. As Caleb shifted my body to take him deeper, I pitied them. It might not have been the most comfortable of sensations in the beginning but he was more than making up for it now. My legs were locked around his hips as I found and met his rhythm. Absently, I wondered how something so terribly wrong could feel so good.

His mouth returned to mine for a moment only to blaze a trail down my neck to my breasts as he picked up the pace. Little black spots began to dance in my peripheral vision and I knew I was getting close. I pulled his lips back to mine and kissed him, sweeping my tongue into his mouth before retreating. His followed, mimicking the motion of his lower body.

It was on me before I even knew it was happening. My belly began to tighten and I started to chant his name in a series of breathy little moans. I came hard digging my fingernails into his shoulders and drawing blood.

"Son of a bitch," I heard him groan against my neck as he bucked his hips once, twice, three more times before following me over the edge.

Our breathing seemed to echo loudly in the stillness of the tower. It sounded harsh and unforgiving to my ears. I'd just given Caleb what I'd denied Reid and I'd done it out of a fucked up combination of hurt feelings and spite. And the worst part of it all was that I couldn't find it in me to be sorry.

Slowly, we sank to the ground until Caleb was kneeling with my legs straddling his. He raised his head and brushed the sweat dampened strands of hair from my face.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

I nodded. "Yeah. You?"

"Yeah," he said. "Not sure I can move just yet though."

I laughed softly. I knew what he meant. My thighs were shaking and just about all of me felt boneless at the moment. I couldn't have managed to stand at the moment, not even if my life depended on it.

"Me neither," I replied then ran a hand over his chest, accidentally grazing his nipple. It was a subconscious gesture, not meant to entice or seduce but it was just as effective. I felt him harden inside me and smirked.

He flushed and grinned sheepishly. I wiggled a bit and the hand that was beneath my ass gave it a playful smack.

I kissed him lightly before leaning back against the wall. Pulling his shirt closed, I said, "So."

Caleb zipped my jacket back up and repeated, "So."

"Exactly," I replied. "We should probably get out of here. They're probably looking for us and it's only a matter of time before someone thinks to look up here."

He scrubbed a hand over his chin and agreed, "You're right. Think you can stand?"

With a nod, I planted my feet next to his hips and using his shoulders for leverage, pushed myself up. The moment he slipped free of my body we both looked down then back up at each other in dawning horror. In our haste, we'd forgotten protection.

"Fuck," we both said in unison.


	15. Chapter 15

Of all the messed up situations I could ever have found myself in, this one took first prize. As I stared into Caleb's eyes, horrified by the possibility that I could very well be having his baby in nine months time, I couldn't have imagined things getting any worse. Then like some sick, surrealistic nightmare, they did.

In less than a minute, they went from just messed up to seriously fucked up.

Caleb stood and after righting his clothing, shoved his hands in his pockets and started grinning. There was nothing friendly or comforting in it. It was downright creepy, bordering on evil. Then without warning, he pulled his hands free and rushed forward pinning me to the wall by my wrists.

I know I could have stopped him at any time but in my defense I was still reeling from the reality of what I'd done and who I'd done it with that the strangeness of his behavior just didn't register. The press of his tongue against my cheek as he licked the side of my face, however, did.

My eyes jerked up to meet his and found him still grinning at me. It was frightening, that grin. It was so unlike Caleb that it sent a sliver of genuine fear straight to my stomach. When Caleb's face and body began to shift that fear became something else entirely.

The firm, thick muscles of his chest where it pressed against mine was replaced by soft, full breasts. Long hair tickled my nose as I felt nausea rise so quickly, I was choking on it. Chastity. She was a shape-shifter - and she had just _fucked _me. My mind couldn't seem to wrap itself around the thought.

Leaning in close, she chuckled in my ear, "Gonna cry now, Williams?" Her lips grazed the shell of my ear before taking the bottom of my lobe between them and sucking on it.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked when I finally managed to find my voice. It wasn't as steady as I'd have liked but this was way outside anything I had ever experienced. I had no idea as to the extent of Chastity's power and the last thing I wanted to do was provoke her.

Drawing back from where she'd been nibbling on my neck, she looked into my eyes and seemed to ponder my question for a moment before answering.

"It's a bit...complicated," was all she said. Then she smiled again. That gnawing, nagging sense of familiarity returned.

"What do you want?" I found myself asking her for the second time in less than twenty-four hours.

And for the second time in less than twenty-four hour she replied, "It's not what I want. It's what I need." Her face and body faded away as she took on her true form. Gone was the 'Goth Girl Gone Wild' and in her place was someone far more terrifying.

"Chase," I whispered on a broken moan, closing my eyes.

"And what is it I need, you might be wondering?" he asked, grabbing my chin roughly and continuing as though I hadn't spoken his name. "More. Power. Specifically your power, Erin."

He kissed me then, hard, without the slightest hint of mercy. I bit down on his tongue and was rewarded with a slap that sent me sprawling to the floor of the bell tower. My every instinct screamed out at me to retaliate. I was only too happy to oblige.

Planting my feet, I put my arms out, palms up and was intent on summoning every ounce of power I possessed. The sound of Reid frantically shouting my name stayed my hand. From the sound of it Caleb, the _real _Caleb, and the others weren't far behind him.

"Tsk, tsk," Chase said, waving his index finger at me. "Wouldn't want your precious _Sons _to get hurt, now would we?"

He was right. What control I had over my magic in the Aboveground was limited and given the circumstances, I'd probably end up killing them too. I dropped my arms back to my sides and sighed dejectedly. "What do you want from me, Chase?"

He stood with one shoulder leaning against the wall of the tower. His arms and feet were crossed as he looked at me and grinned, again. "I think you already know the answer to that question. I admit it was quite a surprise finding power like yours in a woman. Garwin was my original target but you, Erin, you are so much better."

"If you're just going to kill me, why the ruse? Why fuck me?" I asked, tasting bile.

"Think, Erin. Think really hard," he sneered.

I stared at him blankly for a moment before I realized just what he was implying. Then I threw up. I hit my knees and puked and puked and somehow puked some more.

When it finally stopped, Chase was squatting in front of me with his lips drawn back in obvious disgust. "Don't even think about killing it. And believe me it's there. I made sure of it." He fisted a hand in my hair and pulled my head up so that he could look in my eyes. "Try to kill it, tell anyone about me, and your friends, your boyfriend and Mommy dearest will die. Quite painfully I assure you."

"Leave my mother out of this," I growled through clenched teeth.

He cocked his head to one side and said, "Found your weakness, have we? Looks like I may just have to pay the beautiful Sarah Williams a visit - if you decide not to cooperate."

Angry, bitter tears welled in my eyes. I'd never felt more helpless or hopeless. How many times had my father warned me about letting my emotions get the better of me? I'd been so angry at Reid that I'd run headlong into a catastrophe of my own making. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

The only bright spot in this whole sordid mess was that Chase didn't appear to know exactly what kind of magic I possessed. As far as he knew, I was just another witch who had power he meant to take. I said a silent prayer to Danu that he would remain ignorant. It was my only advantage and I intended to press it.

I heard Reid shout my name again, closer this time. Chase heard him too. He kissed me once more but this time I didn't fight him. I didn't participate either. I just didn't see what good another slap would have done me. He'd more than made his point.

"Take good care of my son," he whispered against my lips, taunting me.

I closed my eyes and jerked my head away. He disappeared a moment later. If there had been anything left in my stomach I think I would have thrown up again. I still ended up fighting the urge to dry-heave. Wiping the taste of him from my mouth with the back of my hand, I pushed myself to my feet. Reid's voice was louder now, he was in the tower stairwell. Unable to face him, I wrapped my arms around my stomach and sifted back to my dorm.

I don't know how long I sat in the corner of the shower. I'd run out of tears long before the water ran cold. Pressing my palm to my lower belly I wondered if Chase had been telling the truth. I'd read tales of women seduced by incubi but never believed that I could be so easily deceived. Was there really some spell he could have cast that would have insured conception? Again, I cursed my temper and impetuous nature.

A few weeks ago, my biggest concern had been what future I would choose. That decision had been taken from me now. You see, half-mortal children could not be raised in the Underground. Brief, short-term visits were the most they could endure before they fell victim to the magic of the Labyrinth and became goblins themselves. Not even I was exempt from this unfortunate circumstance.

How would I even begin to explain this to my parents? How would I tell them I'd been so angry at Reid that I'd turned to Caleb, one of his friends - one of my friends - and had foolishly given myself to him out of anger and spite? Only it wasn't really Caleb but Chase instead, who'd come as an incubus in the form of the only other person I trusted. And to really cap things off, he'd gone and knocked me up in the process. The proverbial son of Satan was growing inside me and there wasn't a damned thing I could do about it.

Or was there?

Dad had moved the stars once for my mom. When she discovered that she was pregnant with me, he offered to move them for her again. But she'd been so happy that she'd declined. I didn't doubt that he would do the same for me, should I ask. Problem was, he'd want to know why. Scratch that, he'd demand to know why.

Re-ordering time in small jaunts like he'd done on my birthday were no big deal. But re-ordering time when it would result in the nullification of life, even newly conceived life was a big deal. Huge, in fact.

As terrifying a prospect as it was, I saw no other alternative. He'd find out eventually and I'd rather it be at a point in time where he might be able to do something about it. Chase had threatened nearly everyone I loved. Even my mom. And for that I could have hugged him because as far as my father was concerned that was my ace in the hole.

I eventually made it back to my dorm. When I opened the door I found a note that had been slipped under my door. Absently, I picked it up and tossed it on my desk. I'd deal with it later. Right now, I had more important things to do. Like telling the Goblin King he was going to be a grandfather. Someone please, kill me now. Death was preferable to his disappointment.

My cell phone rang as I turned towards my mirror. I ignored it, knowing in my heart that it was Reid, and pressed my palm to the glass. The surface shimmered for a moment before dissolving beneath my hand, allowing me to step through.

On the other side, I stood in my bed chamber. It was a room I'd slept in only a handful of nights but it had remained the same. As castle bedrooms went, it was fairly cliché. High, arched windows, beautiful tapestries, ornate four-poster bed. The works. That night I paid it little attention as I rushed to the doors, flinging them open so hard they bounced on their hinges.

The castle only allowed my father to sift within her walls. I had to get to him the old fashioned way. I ran. I ran so hard and so fast, I ended up out of breath with a stitch in my side, unable to put two syllables together when I finally reached him.

Doubled over, bracing my hands on my knees, I fought to catch my breath. As it turned out, I didn't have to say a word.

He'd been lounging in his throne with one booted foot dangling over the side, negligently. He sat upright when I came barreling into the room and shouted for everyone to leave. Goblins and elves scattered in every direction. Even the chickens were conspicuously absent.

I started to speak but he raised a single gloved hand silencing me. Around and around he circled me, his expression changing from slightly curious to dark and dire within moments.

Placing his fingers beneath my chin, he raised me up until I was standing before him, erect and terrified. He turned my face this way and that, taking note of my puffy, swollen eyes no doubt. When he rubbed his thumb over my lower lip and along my jaw I realized the evidence of my unfortunate and involuntary tryst with Chase must have remained.

He growled then and conjured a crystal with his other hand only to wrench himself away from me and toss the sphere across the room that it shattered so completely it was reduced to dust. Somehow, he knew. When he turned back to me, his rage was a bit more under control, barely leashed, but under control nonetheless.

"I know what you would ask of me, Erinara," he said finally. "But I will not do it."

"Daddy," I cried, "Please, I need your help. I need you to do this."

He held up his hand a second time. "No. You chose this path for yourself. You must walk it."

"But it wasn't my fault. I mean, it was, but it wasn't. Fuck, this isn't coming out right."

"If you tell me you were raped, I will of course destroy whomever it was. Never question that. But I will not shift the heavens to take back the rash and thoughtless actions of my teenage daughter."

No, I wasn't raped. But I might as well have been. My free will had been tampered with. That was how incubi operated. It was then that I realized that Chase had been pursuing Reid as Chastity and had likely held him in the same thrall. For all of three seconds I felt relieved that he hadn't willingly cheated on me. Then the guilt set in. He'd only made out with Chastity-Chase. I'd had sex with him. Her. Whoever. You get the point.

"Daddy," I tried again. "Yes, I am partly to blame for this. But not entirely. It was Chase Collins who did this to me. He used some spell. He came to me as an incubus then when we were, you know, he cast some spell so that I would…so that I'd…get…you know."

He raised one eyebrow and said, "Pregnant? And he used magic to ensure this?"

There was enough sarcasm and disappointment in his tone to send me backing up a couple of steps. Being the object of my father's derision isn't a fun place to be. He had this uncanny knack for making you feel about two millimeters tall.

Still, I nodded. Daddy crossed his arms over his chest and looked away. When he looked back at me, his expression was so full of remorse that I flinched. "This is not a path I would have chosen for you, Erinara. As much as I wish it were otherwise, I cannot absolve you of this pain. The magic surrounding the child is too strong. Any attempt at reordering time would put your life at risk as well."

I closed my eyes. As hard as I tried, I couldn't stem the tears. I was sobbing by the time I felt my father's arms close around me. I'd been so angry at Reid but deep down in my gut, I knew there was more to my reaction than simple jealousy. Even worse, I wasn't ready to examine my sudden and rather unexpected attraction to Caleb or how Chase could possibly have known. How could I have been so unbelievably stupid?

I stayed in the Underground that night. When I woke the next morning, the sun was already high in the sky, bathing my room in shades of gold, emerald and garnet as its light filtered in through the stained glass of my bedroom windows. Heartsick, I tossed back the bedclothes and prepared to face the inevitable. Chase Collins had tried to kill my friends once and would likely do so again. And this time, he'd threatened my mother too.

Chase may have guaranteed that I was going to have his child but I'd be damned if he was going to live long enough to see it born.


	16. Chapter 16

I found Reid camped out outside my dorm when I emerged later that day. He was still wearing his costume from the night before and it was a fairly safe assumption that he'd spent the night where he sat. The moment I opened my door, he scrambled to his feet with an apology on his lips.

Not ready to hear it or make any admissions of my own, I pulled my door shut and locked it before brushing past him down the hall. Tears of regret and shame were burning my eyes, tears I didn't want him to see, tears I wasn't capable of explaining at that point. But trying to dodge Reid when he was determined to be heard was like shooting a BB gun at a freight train, pointless.

He caught up to me in the south stairwell. I suppose if I'd been truly determined to avoid him, I could have easily sifted to another location. Maybe part of me just wanted to get this over with and move on to the inevitable heartbreak that would follow. Hell, I was already there. Might as well have some company.

"What the fuck, Erin?" Reid asked, grabbing my elbow and spinning me around to face him. "I've been calling you all night. Where the hell were you?"

Forcing down my tears, I raised my head and said, "I was at my Dad's."

He blanched. "Oh shit. He's gonna kill me, isn't he?"

I shook my head. "No, he's not going to kill you, Reid. It's me he's angry with at the moment." At his puzzled look, I explained, "I did something really stupid, Reid. Really, _really _stupid."

Reid dropped my arm and sighed heavily. "Let me guess. Went for a little payback?"

The hurt in his voice went for my gut like a hot knife. I wrapped my arms around my middle and nodded. "How did you know?"

"It's what I would have done," he replied with a half-hearted shrug of his shoulders. "I don't want to know who, do I?"

Laughing bitterly, I answered, "No, you really don't."

"So," Reid began as he brushed a lock of hair behind my ear. "Where does that leave us?"

Where did that leave us? It had been obvious last night that he'd had every intention of fucking Chastity. The fact that she turned out to be Chase, whom I'd fucked, was of little consequence. The intention was what mattered. We'd both screwed up, royally. Now what? I couldn't very well tell him about Chase. I wasn't sure just how I was going to deal with that situation yet. He was a wild card and he was very, very dangerous. Couple that with the fact that he'd put his brat in my belly and I had a whole world of problems just piling up.

"I don't know," I said finally. "Where do you want us to be?"

Reid stepped closer to me and gripped my hips while lowering his forehead to touch mine. "I want to be with you. So we both fucked up last night. Big deal. It happens. I love _you_, Erin. You."

Closing my eyes, I prayed to Danu that I wasn't about to make the second biggest mistake of my life as I said, "Okay."

"Just tell me it wasn't Caleb," he teased playfully.

"Oh God," I managed to choke out. "No, it definitely wasn't Caleb." At least not exactly. But in all the ways that it mattered, it had been him. Or rather ain incubus disguised as Caleb. Inwardly I cringed. If I broke things down in the simplest of terms, I could convince myself I wasn't lying. I was simply omitting a few crucial facts.

"Good," he replied with a grin. It was that grin that did it. Sexy, lopsided and entirely Reid and suddenly I wanted nothing more than to wash away the memory of last night. I grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket and tugged him closer before kissing him, deeply and desperately. He seemed to instinctively understand where this was headed, knew what it was I wanted and needed.

I don't remember how we got there, but somehow we made it back to my room. My back hit my mattress before I'd even registered the sound of the door closing. Then there was only Reid. He'd pulled off his jacket and sweatshirt by the time he joined me on my bed. Bare from the waist up, he was a delicious sight to behold. His torso was ripped with lithe muscle, carved like a Greek statue from an era long past. My hands, lips and tongue traced every groove I could find, stopping only when I met the waistband of his jeans.

Remember all that fooling around I told you we'd been doing? Well, here was where it paid off. There was no shyness in me as I unfastened his belt and pulled down his zipper. There was no hesitation as I tugged his pants over his hips. There was certainly no self-consciousness as I curled my fingers around him before licking my way down his length, from tip to base and back again.

He groaned and his back arched when I took him into my mouth. I didn't get far in my quest because the next thing I knew, Reid's hands were in my hair, tugging me up to straddle his hips. I whipped my shirt over my head and tossed it over my shoulder. My bra followed.

Somewhere between those sucking, drugging kisses and fingers that knew how to play my body like a finely tuned Baby Grand, Reid managed to help me out of my jeans and panties. I rose up over him on my knees and threading my fingers through his slowly sank down on him. Danu but he felt good, so incredibly good. I lifted myself up and slid back down, over and over until Reid let go of my hands to grip my hips, showing me how to move and helping me set the pace.

"Kiss me," he whispered and I did. I brushed my lips over his and then across his cheek and down to where his neck met his shoulder. I suckled the spot before nipping it with my teeth. He growled deep in his throat and flipped us, raising my leg to drape over his arm as he thrust harder. He hit something inside me, some new spot that sent me teetering over the edge. I screamed his name as I came.

Reid joined me a few moments later, pulling out and spilling himself on my stomach. I wasn't surprised. He wasn't wearing a condom and no doubt had reservations about becoming a father at eighteen. Since Chase had already knocked me up, I could have saved him the concern. Thoughts about my baby and the person who'd fathered him stole away my post-coital bliss leaving me feeling bereft and alone.

The ringing of my cell phone snapped me out of my thoughts. I shoved Reid off of me so that I could reach it. I didn't recognize the number but answered anyway.

"'Lo?" I said on a yawn.

"My, my we have been a busy girl," the voice on the other end chided. Chase. Just freaking perfect.

"What's it to you?" I countered as I sat up. "As far as I can tell, I haven't broken any rules."

"Not yet but I just don't know how long you'll be able to refrain from running that pretty mouth of yours so I took out a little insurance policy. Wouldn't want you letting it slip that I'm back in town now would we?"

My blood ran cold. "What did you do?" I hissed.

"Oh nothing much. Just decided to pay my future mother-in-law a visit. I have to say, Erin, she's much, much lovelier in person."

"You're making a huge mistake," I warned him. "You need to let her go, right now."

"Tsk, tsk. You're really in no position to be telling me what to do, lover. Mommy dearest is going to stay right where she is - with me."

I'd never been so scared in my life. Things were spiraling out of control faster than I believed possible.

"Who're you talking to?" Reid asked, his voice groggy with fatigue.

I didn't answer, instead I asked Chase if I could speak to my mother. In all honesty, I didn't expect him to agree but the next thing I knew she was on the line.

"Mom? Oh my God, Mom. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault," I cried. "I'm so sorry."

"Erin, honey, don't you worry about me," she said. "I'm going to be fine. But I need you to do something for me. I need you to make a wish. Do it, Erin. Do it now."

I could hear Chase begin to yell in the background, demanding to know what she meant. I didn't have time to think twice. While she was still on the phone with me I said, "Mom, I wish the goblins would come and take you away. Right now."


End file.
